


Kiss and Tell

by LadyFrehley



Category: KISS (US Band)
Genre: Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Making Out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-11
Updated: 2019-07-06
Packaged: 2020-02-26 02:31:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 15,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18714703
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyFrehley/pseuds/LadyFrehley
Summary: Gene is dating Cher and is obsessed with her, but when Kiss hires a new drummer, he’s conflicted between the first girl he’s ever truly loved and the most perfect man he’s ever laid eyes on.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> In Eric’s POV 🦊

I remember the first time I met Gene perfectly. I auditioned to be Kiss's drummer in May after hearing Peter Criss had left, and I knew I’d got the job even before they’d opened my application in that obnoxiously bright orange folder. I watched the three guys walk past me as I sat outside the audition room, and while I recognized Paul immediately, the other two...not so much. I did notice, however, that the tan guy with mysterious dark brown eyes and frizzy black hair was perhaps the most handsome man I’d ever seen in my life. I tried to figure out in my head which member he could be. Ace was tall and skinny with chocolate brown hair, so it couldn’t be him. It must have been Gene Simmons, the demon bassist with that hypnotic long tongue.

I didn’t know much about Kiss when I auditioned, and I hadn’t heard a lot of their music, but they’re the biggest band around right now. Everyone knows their faces. Well, their _masked_ faces, at least. I was one of the few people outside the band’s friends, family, and business partners lucky enough to see them without their iconic makeup. 

I played for them, and I knew the damn songs better than they did! I could tell they were impressed, especially Gene. He was smiling the entire time, watching my every move like a hawk. When I finished playing, the guys thanked me, and I asked them for their autographs in case I never saw them again. I watched Gene sign his name on the list of songs I had to play, and when he finished, he looked up and winked at me. I smiled and turned away, slightly embarrassed by the way he was making me feel. _Maybe he thought I was a girl._ I left the room with absolute certainty that I was the band's new drummer, hoping and wishing with all my heart that I’d get to see Gene again.

Turns out I was right. I rocked the audition, and two weeks later, I was officially in the hottest band in the world.

* * *

 

It’s been the longest and most exciting week of my life. We started the Australian segment of our Unmasked tour in Perth, and the heat on this continent is _killing_ me. It’s November, but in Australia, Spring is ending and Summer is right around the corner. It doesn’t help that we have to wear bandannas around our faces to keep our identities a secret, either. 

I lean back against the passenger seat of our rented Jeep and close my eyes, enjoying the breeze blowing through my hair. The air’s warm, and while I’d much prefer some AC, it’s better than nothing. Gene has the radio turned up, playing Cher’s‘Gypsies, Tramps and Thieves’.

“Gene, for Christ’s sake, we get you’re fuckin’ Cher!” Ace yells from the backseat, “Quit forcin' us to listen to her 24/7!” I look back at him and chuckle. Paul’s snuggled up against him, fast asleep.

I can understand where Ace is coming from. Gene is _obsessed_ with his girlfriend. He owns all her cassettes and plays them repetitively, even bringing them abroad with him so he can listen to them in the hotel and in the car. I’m really happy for him that he’s found a girl he truly loves and cares for, but there’s a limit to how much we can take of hearing him ramble on about her. I’ve also spent many sleepless nights lying in bed wondering if there’s some jealousy on my part. 

I’m not gonna lie, I have some feelings for Gene. We just got back from Norway, and I got to know him better in that one country than the entire European segment of the tour. It must have been in the high 30’s in the city of Drammen, and Gene and I were sharing a hotel room. Paul and Ace are a couple, so they always request to be roomed together. I remember lying in my bed wrapped in blankets, shivering and trying my hardest to warm up. Gene noticed, and instead of getting more blankets for me, he actually got in bed with me and huddled me close to his body. We were practically spooning, and he kept running his hand up and down my arm, his breath hot on my neck. I was shocked, but I appreciated it and enjoyed his touch. 

“What do _you_ wanna listen to then, your highness?” Gene shoots back at Ace, obviously offended he isn’t enjoying his girlfriend’s singing as much as he is.

“Not Cher!” Me and Ace laugh.

Gene groans and reluctantly changes the radio, ‘My Sherona’ by the Knack playing.

“That’s more like it!” Ace starts singing along loudly and dancing, waking poor Paul up. I watch through the rear view mirror as Paul lets out some cute whining noises after his boyfriend disrupted his beauty sleep. He yawns and stretches, resting his head against the door and going back to sleep. It must be hard having to be roommates with Ace, constantly wrecking their hotel room and throwing random parties. No wonder Paul doesn’t sleep well...

Gene smiles and looks over at me. “You okay?” 

“Yeah.” I smile back, “We almost there?” 

“Think so.” We’re on our way to see _The Shining_. Gene’s a huge horror movie fan and insisted we see it on our day off. Ace wasn’t big on the idea but was persuaded once he got a few drinks in, and Paul wasn’t really bothered. The usual 'I'll go if Ace goes'. I enjoy hanging out with Gene so I was more than happy to come along. Our manager was hesitant to let us go at first but finally gave in and warned us to keep our faces hidden at all times. I was kinda disappointed; trying to watch a movie with sunglasses on won't be fun.

We finally arrive at the theater after about 10 minutes, and before stepping out of the car, we all tie our bandannas around our faces. I don’t see how this won’t draw attention to us, but I’m just gonna comply with what Bill told us to do. 

Me and Gene walk together, Paul and Ace behind us holding hands. 

“You sure you guys should be doing that in public?” Gene asks in his usual monotone voice.

“Don’t sweat it, curly. It’s legal in Adelaide.” Ace informs him, happily swinging his and Paul’s arms back and forth. “Me n’ Paulie are movin’ down here when the tour ends, aren’t we, Poodle?”

“Sure.” Paul giggles.

They're so cute together. I always thought so. I frown once I realize everyone's in a relationship except me.

"So remember," Gene turns his attention to me, snapping me out of my thoughts, "if anyone asks, your name’s Eric, you're 27, and we chose you out of the crowd to be our new drummer." I nod. My name’s really Paul, I’m 30 and I went through the entire audition process, but the band insisted we fabricate a backstory for me to hide my true identity. It's understandable, but I just hope I don't forget and give myself away. It still hasn't registered that I'm a member of Kiss. It's a dream come true.

After buying the tickets from a confused looking employee who must've thought we were robbing the place, I grab the popcorn and me and Gene sit in the middle of the empty theater, Ace and Paul a few rows behind us. I figure Gene must've rented the place out for privacy reasons, so I'm wondering why we've still gotta wear these stupid bandannas. I pull mine off followed by my sunglasses and toss some popcorn into my mouth. 

As I'm watching the pre-movie trailers, out the corner of my eye I see Gene stretch his arm and slowly rest it around my shoulders. 

_Did he just do 'the move' on me? Smooth bastard._

I bite my bottom lip in an attempt to hide the smile forming on my face. Gene's smiling, too, but it's not a regular smile. It's the smile I've seen him use on women, on his _girlfriend_. A _flirtatious_ smile.  I feel my cheeks turn red. How is he making me feel this way? _Why_ is he making me feel this way?

I scoot up a little closer to him, and I wonder what Ace and Paul must be thinking. Maybe they think he's just being pally with me. I look back and they're making out, Ace's hand on Paul's ass. I should've known that's why they didn't want to sit with us... 

* * *

 

My heart's beating hard and I'm clinging onto Gene's arm. This movie is _terrifying_. I've jumped a couple of times throughout, and if the guys weren't here, I would've ran out of the theater a _long_ time ago. I'm holding my breath in anticipation as the main character makes his way to his hotel room with an axe, ready to murder his wife and son. I look up at Gene and he's absolutely engrossed. He's loving every second of the film while I'm here practically shaking in my boots. 

Ace and Paul must be enjoying it, too; they've been completely silent since the beginning. I look behind me only to find they're gone. It's just me and Gene now. 

I look back and scream when Jack Nicholson breaks through the bathroom door with the axe. Oh my god. I actually  _screamed._ Gene's laughing, looking down at me clutching onto his arm tightly, and I'm so embarrassed. I force myself to let go of him and watch the rest of the movie like a man, but he wraps his arm around me again and holds me close. He can tell I'm scared shitless, and him holding me actually makes me feel a little better. I lay my head on his shoulder and keep watching. 

* * *

The movie ends and me and Gene spend at least fifteen minutes searching the place for Ace and Paul. Gene's visibly miffed, and I feel a little bad for him. I love them, but our guitarists can sometimes act like unruly teenagers, especially Ace. Paul isn't that bad by himself. In fact, he's kinda like a second Gene, but with Ace, he turns into a rebel. 

"Well, they couldn't've left." I shrug, " _You_ have the car keys." 

"Yeah." Gene agrees, looking around with an annoyed look on his face, "Let's go wait in the car. I'll give 'em ten minutes and then I'm leaving their asses." 

We leave the theater and it's pitch black outside. I can hardly see Gene it's so dark.

" _Redrum_... _Redrum_... _Redrum_..." Gene mutters in a demonic voice.

"That's not fucking funny." I chuckle nervously as he puts his arm around me and laughs. 

We get in the Jeep and Gene turns the engine on, the car's headlights lighting up the parking lot. I hope Paul and Ace are alright...

I pretend I can't see Gene watching me as I look for any sign of our bandmates, 'Wonderful Tonight' by Eric Clapton playing softly on the radio. I sigh and hang my arm out the window, listening to the music accompanied by crickets chirping away in the dark. After a few minutes, Gene's eyes are _still_ locked on me, and I finally turn and look at him. He has that same flirtatious smile on his face from before.

I blush as Gene starts _singing_ to me, "My darling, you look wonderful tonight..." I can feel my heart pounding as Gene brushes a long curl out of my face and rests his hand on my cheek. He looks into my eyes and I almost melt. He's stupidly handsome. I exhale shakily as he looks down at my mouth and leans in slowly. I want nothing more than to kiss him but...

"Your girlfriend..." I whisper, our lips almost touching. I completely forgot about Cher. Funny, Gene never lets us forget he's dating the queen of pop.

"I want you, Eric Carr." He says, his voice deep and lustful. I can hardly register what's happening. The bassist of a legendary rock band, who already has a stunning girlfriend, is about to kiss _me,_ a repairman from New York who's barely been famous for six months. Gene’s not even _into_ guys; he’s the definition of a hot-blooded womanizer. _I'm_ not into guys. _..am I?_ I mean, I've looked at plenty of men before and thought they were attractive, but Gene...he's different. He's made me feel things I've never even felt for _women_ before. I can't deny I've spent some of the past few months I've been in the band wondering what kissing the demon is like, what he tastes like and if he can use that famous tongue of his in other ways...

I give in to temptation and press my lips against his. I feel like I'm in some cheesy romance movie as the music keeps playing in the background, Gene caressing my cheek. I turn and kneel on my seat so I can reach around his neck and pull him closer. Gene groans deeply, and before I know it, I'm being pulled onto his lap. Our kiss turns from innocent closed mouth to full-on making out, but it's not sloppy like I imagined. In fact, it's rather romantic. I always thought he'd be the type of guy who'd shove his tongue down your throat without warning.

Gene strokes my hair and I practically purr at his touch. Last I remember, _Peter_ was the catman, not me! He slowly pulls away, our foreheads resting against each other. He grins up at me, "My sexy little fox..." I smile and look away. I've never blushed so hard in my life. He takes hold of my chin and turns my head back toward him, "I mean it." He looks me over, "You're gorgeous." I don't know what to say. I've heard a lot of things about Gene. I've heard he butters people up to get what he wants, especially with the opposite sex, but he sounds so sincere. No one's ever told me I'm gorgeous before...

Flattered and slightly turned on, I lean back down and press our lips together, but harder this time. Gene runs his hands down my back and grabs onto my ass, our heavy breathing becoming louder and desperate. I have no idea what this is leading to, and I have no idea if I'm ready for what's next, but we suddenly hear giggling in the distance. It's them. Ace's laugh is unmistakable. I force myself to pull away from Gene and quickly climb off his lap back into my seat. 

Like I suspected, the back doors open and Paul and Ace get in.

"It smells like sweat n' shame in here. What's goin' on?" Ace chuckles. 

"What's going on is we've been waiting for you idiots for half an hour." Gene buckles up and starts driving out of the parking lot. "Why aren't you wearing your bandannas?"

"Why aren't _you_ wearing _yours?"_ I chuckle, and Gene genuinely doesn't know what to say. He smiles, our secret reflecting in his expression.

"Smart ass."

"So, where _were_ you? We thought you'd been kidnapped by a gang of kangaroos." I turn in my seat to look at Paul and Ace, curious as to where they'd been for two and a half hours. Without them even saying anything, I notice their hair is messed up and hickies of all shapes and sizes on Paul's neck. Ace purses his lips and raises his eyebrows at me as if to say 'you know damn well where we were and what we were doing'. I know Gene would be furious if he found out they'd had public sex in a theater bathroom, and I'm no tattletale. I nod and turn back. 

 _What a wild night._  The tour will definitely not be the same after this...

 


	2. Chapter 2

“Hi, baby. How’s it going?”

The show ended about fifteen minutes ago, and the four of us immediately returned to the dressing room to remove our costumes and makeup. We’re exhausted and drenched in sweat, and while Ace and Paul have gone to take a shower, I’ve chosen to stay behind with Gene. 

I’m sat at the table with an instant coffee, my makeup practically running down my face as I listen to Gene talk to his girlfriend. I’ve never met Cher, but she sounds so sweet. I can hear her voice muffled on the other end of the phone.

“I’m fine, Genie. How’s the tour going?”

As I listen in on their conversation, I start to feel guilty. They sound really in love, and Cher has no idea I made out with Gene last night. I’m just glad it didn’t go any further than that. 

I listen as they ask each other about life, about the tour, about Cher’s daughter, about  _me_. Gene turns around and we make uncomfortable eye contact, “Yeah, he’s great. Much better than that unreliable junkie, Criss. He’s really talented. Cute guy.” I force a smile, and Gene turns back. I don’t like to let my true emotions show. Right now, I’m angry, a little sad, and filled with guilt. Mostly angry at myself for getting caught up in Gene’s looks and ladykiller demeanor. He’s two timing his girlfriend, and it’s my fault.

“I miss you, Genie.” I hear Cher say.

“I miss you too, baby.” He replies in a soft tone, “I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

“Bye.” He hangs up and looks at himself in the dressing table mirror, his makeup smeared from sweating. We look at each other through the mirror for a split second but I pretend I didn’t see. I stir my coffee with one of my drumsticks as he turns around to face me, that same damn seductive smile on his face from yesterday. _Oh no you don’t._

He starts to approach me and I get up from my seat, “Well, I’d better go grab a shower.”

“Eric, wait.” I stop before opening the door, and turn around to Gene pressing his black lips against mine. I want to continue where we left off last night so badly, but I just can’t let it happen. I couldn’t live with myself if Cher somehow found out.

I pull away, “Gene, I can’t...I can’t do this. It just doesn’t feel right.” He’s only an inch away from my face, looking down at my mouth hungrily. Fuck, I’ve never wanted to kiss someone so much, but my morality just won’t let me.

“C’mon, baby.” He growls, brushing a curl away from my face. 

“Gene...” I turn my head to dodge his kiss, his lips brushing the corner of my mouth. “please don’t make me do this...” The last thing I want to do is be a home wrecker and tear Gene and Cher apart. 

“She doesn’t need to know.” He keeps getting closer, only making me question myself more and panic. My head’s spinning as I try to think of an excuse to get me out of the situation I’m in, something believable...

“Shit, I just remembered! I have to uh...help Paul pick out a wedding dress!” I quickly escape the room, embarrassed that that’s the best excuse I could come up with. It’s 11 at night and Paul’s not even engaged. Or a  _woman_. Gene must be stood there totally confused. I just need time to think. I need to sort this out.

* * *

 

I knew the person I had to go to was Ace. He’s the only guy I know who tells it how it is, no bullshit, just the straight up truth.

Ace has a cold, but that hasn’t stopped him from agreeing to meet up with me at a local pub to discuss my troubled love life. We’re sat at the bar, each with a lager in hand. I tell him _everything_. About my issue with Gene, how I think I’m falling for him, how my conscience just won’t allow me to act on my feelings after hearing him talk to Cher. Yeah, he’s drunk, but I can tell he’s listening. He nods every time I finish a sentence and takes a sip of beer, looking me straight in the eyes. 

“Listen, kid,” He sets his lager down and clears his throat. Wait a minute, I’m _older_ than  him...Eh, whatever.

“Gene n’ Cher, they’re legit. I heard ‘em talkin’  marriage  not too long ago.” My heart sinks. It absolutely plummets. “Cher’s got a kid, n’ Gene’s like a father to Chastity. They’re like a family. I dunno what you guys have done together, if anything, but I wouldn’t get any more involved.” 

I frown and look away, Ace’s words stabbing me like a knife. There’s no worse feeling than being told you can’t be with the person you’re in love with.  _Am_ I in love with Gene? Oh please don’t tell me my crush has developed into actual  _love._  That’ll only hurt more.

Ace puts a hand on my shoulder and gives me a reassuring smile, “It’ll be okay, curly.”

I appreciate Ace trying to make me feel better, but it’s gonna take more than a few nice words. Without thinking, I down my beer in one go and immediately ask the bartender for another.

“Woah, take it easy, fox.” Ace giggles, “We can’t take ya to the airport drunk as a skunk, now can we?” I totally forgot we’re flying to Sydney tonight, but part of me doesn’t care. I just want to drown out the sudden immense sadness I’m feeling.

“Lemme get another pint, hah?” Ace orders another lager for himself as I start on my next one. 

“Let’s just stay here all day.” I smile, starting to feel a little tipsy. I’m only a pint and a half in, but I’m a small guy, and I can tell Ace is getting a kick out of it. 

“Sure thing, curly.” He chuckles, patting my back.

As I drink more, I feel myself start to get more and more comfortable, like I can tell Ace  _anything_. 

“Y’know, me n’ Gene made out at the theater.” Man, I am _so_ gonna  regret telling him that. 

Ace slowly turns to look at me for dramatic effect, his eyes wide and a shocked smile on his face. “You fuckin’  _what?”_

“We made out.” I laugh, the alcohol keeping me from caring about this extremely personal information I just let loose. “Y’know, while you n’ Paul were...”

“Fucking.” Ace says without hesitation, downing the rest of his drink. 

“Right. And I thought  _we_ were gonna...”

“Fuck.”

“Yeah! But we didn’t. ‘Cause you guys came back.”

“Just call me cockblocker!” Ace giggles hysterically, clapping his hands. 

“Well, I’m kinda glad you did.” I look up at the tv playing a football match and lean on my arm, “‘Cause I’d feel like a total slut if I’d slept with him.” 

“Mahh.” Ace flicks his wrist at me, “Gene-o’s the biggest slut on the planet. He’s up to his fuckin’ neck in broads 24/7,  _including_ Cher.”

“...Really? He’s been cheating on her?” I feel myself get a little angry, but also relieved that I’m not the only one Gene’s been fooling around with.

“Oh, sure. But I think Cher knows.” Ace stares at his empty glass, “He’s a sex-addicted egomaniac. Poor bastard can’t help it. It’s in his nature.”

There’s a moment of silence before I speak again, the question I’ve had lingering on my mind for days finally coming out. 

“I just had no idea he was into  _guys._..” 

“I don’t think he is.” Ace looks at me, deadpan, the contempt in his voice obvious, “I think that cockhead will take sex wherever he can get it. You were just there at the right time. ‘N I think if me n’ Paulie hadn’t interrupted, he woulda boned you like a bitch and lost interest.”

I frown, “So he just _used_ me? ”

“I wouldn’t be surprised.”

I turn and look back at the tv, thoroughly pissed off now.

_Ok, Gene. That’s the way you want it? Two can play at this game._


	3. Chapter 3

Those gorgeous yet menacing dark brown eyes are locked onto me again, and I attempt to hide behind the 16 magazine I found in Paul’s handbag.

We’re waiting to board the plane to Sydney, and Gene’s sat on the opposite row of seats practically burning a hole in my face. He’s dressed to kill in these dark purple leather pants with black ankle boots and a black leather jacket, and it’s hard not to stare back. He looks like a million bucks. I’m just wearing one of my favourite jumpsuits because it’s comfy and makes my ass look, in my opinion,  _fantastic._

I can’t tell how Gene’s feeling from his expressionless face, but he must be confused after what happened yesterday, after me running out of the room, running from his affections. He’s probably never experienced that in his entire 31 years. 

_Was_ it affection, though? Maybe Ace was right...Maybe Gene was just...well...horny, and I was the only human being in close proximity. But that might _not_ be true. Either way, I’m sorta giving Gene the cold shoulder; avoiding eye contact, not walking with him, and if we talk it’s only a one-worder response: ‘okay’. 

It’s unreal seeing myself on the cover of 16 in my fox persona. There’s even an article inside about me entitled ‘Meet KISS’ new drummer!’ with a rather cute picture of me underneath if I do say so myself. Trying to avoid Gene’s line of sight, I start to read the interview he gave me when I first joined, and I eventually get sucked in.

“Watcha readin’, curly?” Ace suddenly slumps down next to me, and I’m brought back to reality.

“Hey! My bag!” Paul yanks his Prada handbag from underneath Ace. “You just sat on $3,000!”

“Sorry, sweetie.” He giggles and turns back to me.

“I’m reading my interview.” I answer.

He leans in close and pretends to read with me, “Don’t look now, curly, but Gene-o’s staring ya down like a damn hawk.”

“I know...” I lift the magazine up higher, blocking my face. I don’t know if Gene is genuinely angry or if it’s his way of trying to flirt, but his staring is starting to get on my nerves. We have a 2 hour flight ahead of us and I don’t know if I can handle any more of it. 

“What happened last night?” Ace asks, “After the show?”

I’m not drunk anymore, so I’m reluctant to tell my bandmate about last night’s events. Then again, it’s Ace. He won’t tell. Paul, on the other hand, would probably scream it from a mountain top.

“He uh...” I lower my voice, “he tried to kiss me again. Tried to...Well...I think he was trying to seduce me.” I can’t help but chuckle. I never in a million years thought I‘d be found pretty enough to be seduced by a man, especially the fire-breathing, blood-spitting, womanizing demon of Kiss.

“Oh, Jesus...” Ace rolls his eyes.

“Yeah, but I told him...” I chuckle more, “that I had to help Paul pick out a wedding dress, and I ran away.”

The simple utterance of ‘wedding’ makes Paul’s ears prick up, “What? Wedding?” 

“No, no..” I laugh, “No wedding.”

“Oh...” He gives Ace a look of disapproval and goes back to reading a magazine.

“He’s waiting for me to propose...” Ace whispers, giggling, “I’m plannin’ on it but the impatient diva won’t get off my nuts lately...Don’t tell nobody, will ya?”

I motion a zip across my mouth and look back down at what I was reading.

After another 20 minutes of trying to hide from Gene’s staring, we’re finally called to board the private jet. Big John blocks us from the paparazzi and escorts us through the long tunnel, and I make sure to walk with our bodyguard and not Gene like I usually would. I think my message is coming across quite clearly. I don’t like to be taken advantage of.

“I’m gonna sit with Eric for a little while, okay, Poodle?” Ace kisses Paul and joins me. I really appreciate that he understands the predicament I’m in. Gene and I always sit together on the plane, but things between us have been super awkward since last night, and I’m just thankful Ace boarded before he did.

Gene finally makes his way down the aisle, and I look out the window. To my amazement, he says nothing and sits with Paul. I could’ve sworn he was going to throw a fit or at least hurl some insults at Ace for nabbing his seat. But no. Complete silence. I think he gets the picture. 

“Let’s get some champ-ag-nay over here, hah?” Ace calls out, making Paul sigh.

“Babe, please.” 

“Yeah! Get some for Paulie, too!”

We take off after about half an hour, and the inflight entertainment, to Ace’s dismay, is _Saturday Night Fever_. “Fuckin’ _disco_...” He sighs and throws his head back against the seat. However, we drink nearly a whole bottle of champagne between us, and soon Ace starts to warm up to it.

“I WANNA PUT ON MY MY MY MY MY BOOGIE SHOESSS JUST TO BOOGIE WITH YOUUU!” Ace hollers along to the music, and I’m snickering uncontrollably. He gets up and starts dancing.  This has been the most fun I’ve ever had on a flight in my life, excluding the awkward eye contact me and Gene made during ‘How Deep Is Your Love’.

“Ace, sit your ass down.” Gene orders, but Ace keeps going. “Paul, a little help here?” Gene turns to Paul who’s conked out against the window, mouth open and snoring softly. “Eric?” He looks at me.

“Alright, alright, c’mon, Ace.” I giggle, pulling on his arm until he sits back down.

“Aw, ya just mad cos ya didn’t get to sit next to ya crush, Genie.” Ace slurs. 

“Crush?” Gene narrows his eyebrows, looking pissed off and flustered.

“Yeah! Ya got a big fat crush on Eric and we all know it, ya fuckin’ wuss!”

My eyes widen.  _Oh shit._ I think Ace might have just crossed the line. 

“Ya too big a man to admit it?” He stands up again, “Ya just gonna spend the rest of ya life fuckin’ over beautiful women like Cher when who ya really want is Eric, ya egotistical sex-addicted closeted pansy ass motherfucker?”

I watch with my mouth open as Gene gets out of his seat and knocks Ace clean out, falling into the aisle with a loud thud. Gene looks at me before sitting back down and continuing to watch the movie like nothing happened. Paul’s surprisingly still fast asleep.

I’m in shock, mostly because I’ve never seen Ace call Gene out like that before, and also the fact that Gene didn’t deny having a crush on me. Afraid to say anything, I turn my attention back to the movie, Ace laying lifeless on the floor. I’d help him up, but he kinda deserved it. How he didn’t see a punch to the face coming after that little speech, I’ll never know. 

I look down at my watch. _Oh great_. Only another hour to go.


	4. Chapter 4

It’s 1 AM, and we’re driving from the airport to the hotel in Sydney. Soft music is playing from the radio like a lullaby, except I’m the only one on the tour bus who’s wide awake.

I look over to the couch opposite me where Ace and Paul are sound asleep cuddled under a blanket. There’s a small bruise on Ace’s forehead where Gene punched him earlier. He really needs to work on his aim, haha.

Paul’s lay on top with Ace’s arms wrapped around him, and I can’t help but yearn for someone to cuddle me, too. Maybe that’s why I can’t sleep. Or maybe it’s the whole drama with Gene. I wonder what he’s up to...

I close my eyes and attempt to fall asleep, but after a few minutes, I hear the door to the bedroom open followed by footsteps. It must be Gene; he always calls dibs on the tour bus bedroom unless Ace and Paul put up a fight for it. 

I don’t want to interact with him for obvious reasons, so I pretend I’m asleep. What’s he doing up this late anyway? Maybe he’s having the same issue as me.

He stops in the kitchen and starts making coffee, and I open my eyes to watch him from behind. He’s wearing a red snowflake robe with pajama pants and slippers. How cute. Who would’ve thought the demon likes to be comfy?

I get caught up in watching him eat a slice of cake from the fridge,forgetting that I’m supposed to be pretending to be asleep when he turns around and makes eye contact with me. 

“Oh, Eric...You’re awake.” 

He’s shirtless and it catches me off guard. Damn, I’ve never found any man so handsome. It’s not fair, especially when I’m trying to be mad at him. 

“Yup.” I look away and fold my arms. He snickers, sipping his coffee and leaning against the counter, watching me. We stay like that for a moment until I can’t take his staring anymore. “What’re you doing up?” I genuinely want to know. I’ve not been with the band long, but I’m used to seeing Gene with female company pretty much all the time, even on the bus. There’s probably a girl in the bedroom I don’t know about.

“I was writing for the new album and I got the munchies. Wanna hear what I have so far?” I want to tell him I’m tired, but I also really want to hear him sing for me. That’s the problem with being upset with someone you have feelings for. You want to ignore them and pretend they don’t exist so they know they hurt you, but at the same time you still love them and don’t want them to go away. Yeah, Gene can be a manipulative self-centered jerk, but I still have feelings for him and I can’t fight them no matter how hard I try. 

He starts singing the chorus to a song he called ‘A World Without Heroes’, not breaking eye contact with me, and I’m just blown away by how nice a voice he has. I’m so used to hearing him belt out songs like ‘God of Thunder’ that this unexpected power ballad just shocks me, but in a good way. He finishes and smiles at me, “What do you think?”

“...I like it. A lot.” I nod, trying not to be over-generous with my compliment. There’s a moment of silence while he finishes his coffee. 

“You, uh,” He looks me over, “you wanna join me back there? Since you can’t sleep?”

_Oh my god_. Is he _seriously_ trying to seduce me again? Ace was right; he really does has a one-track mind.

“...I think I’m okay. Thanks.”

“It’s a big bed.” He adds, “Much comfier than the couch.”

I can’t tell if he’s flirting or just trying to be nice, but to be honest, this isn’t the comfiest couch in the world. Besides, if he tries anything I’ve got Big John at the front to back me up. 

“...Okay then.” I finally agree and stand up. I probably should’ve followed my intuition, but Gene is a _very_ persuasive guy. 

I quietly follow him to the back of the bus, careful not to wake Ace and Paul up. The lights are dimmed and I can just make out a big round bed in the middle of the room, pillow after pillow on top and gold coloured sheets. His personal radio is softly playing Cher’s latest album.

“Y’wanna lie down?” He asks. I wasn’t expecting to share a bed with Gene tonight, but I suppose it’s better than the couch, and I _was_ getting lonely. I crawl on top of the bed and lie down, awkwardly staring at the ceiling as he does the same, except he lies on his side facing me.

“You gonna see Cher when we get back to the States?” He’s probably forgotten all about her. There’s some beautiful chicks in Australia and I’m sure the temptation is killing Gene. 

“Well, we _live_ together...” He looks away, uninterested. I can see what he’s trying to do, and as long as he’s got a girlfriend, I’m not playing along. I just can’t. It’s frustrating that Gene continues to cheat on Cher with meaningless one night stands and groupies who only want him for his money.

I can’t help myself, I have to confront him.

“Why are you cheating on her? That’s such a horrible thing to do to such a sweet woman.” I sound angrier than I intended, and Gene chuckles at me which only makes me madder. I’m used to people not taking me seriously because of my size, but I don’t know if he’s laughing at that or the subject I brought up. “Don’t fuckin’ laugh at me, okay? I’m being serious.” I try not to raise my voice, but it’s hard when he’s grinning like an idiot.

“Calm down, Little Caesar.” He brushes a strand of hair out of my face. 

_Little Caesar?_

I want to smack that smile off his face but I resist. 

“What Cher and I have is an open relationship. She understands...” He strokes my cheek with the back of his hand and I feel shivers through my body. 

So Ace was right; Cher _does_ know about his affairs. I didn’t know there was an understanding between them, but that still doesn’t make it right or make me feel any less guilty. I still feel like a home wrecker, and all we did was kiss.

“W-why do you want me?” My voice shakes from his touch. I’m just dumbfounded Gene can have any woman in the world but he goes for _me_ , a small Italian guy from Brooklyn. 

I gasp loudly when Gene suddenly grabs my hips and pulls me on top of him so I’m straddling him. I look down at him in shock while he smiles up at me. I love his smile, especially when he shows his teeth.

“Okay...” Is all I can say. Why haven’t I jumped off of him yet and ran for the hills?

“Y’know, when we first met, I thought you were a chick.” Gene smirks. 

“Hey!” I smack his chest and he laughs.

“Just kidding. I did think you were _adorable_ though...especially in that fox makeup.” With one hand still clutched on to my hip, he strokes up and down my thigh with the other. I think he’s trying to be flirtatious, but I’m extremely ticklish so I start giggling. Getting the picture, he starts tickling me on purpose all over my body and I burst out laughing. 

“Stop! Stop!” I beg him, tears filling my eyes as he attacks every inch of me with his fingers. He finally stops, and I hunch over, trying to catch my breath and ease the cramp I have in my belly from laughing so hard. Our faces are only a few inches away from each other.

“Eric...” Gene says softly, smiling up at me. 

“Yeah?” 

I should’ve expected he’d grab my face and kiss me, because that’s exactly what he does, but I don’t pull away. In fact, I find myself kissing him right back. It’s not long before his demon tongue makes its way into my mouth, tasting strongly of coffee and vanilla cake. 

“Wow...” I giggle and lick my lips, “That cake is _good_.” Gene chuckles and goes right back to kissing me. He sits up and starts removing his robe, our bare chests pressing together as I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. I shift a little so he can throw the robe off the bed, embarrassed by the tiny moan I let out when our groins accidentally rub together through our pajama bottoms. 

I seem to lose all memory of Gene having a girlfriend as I start tugging on my pants. What’s come over me? And why am I acting like I know what I’m doing? I’ve never done this before, and I know Gene hasn’t either, but I soon find myself on my hands and knees with him kneeling behind me. It’s been a while since I last...well, _you know_. Before Kiss I spent nearly all my time helping my dad deliver furniture, and I still occasionally do, so there’s really no time for fooling around. Plus I don’t have _nearly_ as big a sex drive as Gene does. It’s not a priority to me. So being in this situation now, is intimidating to say the least. 

I gasp and squeeze my eyes shut when Gene suddenly spanks me. “I always thought you had a cute ass...” I’m a pretty self-conscious guy, and I’m growing anxious as Gene looks me over from behind. So he _has_ been checking me out all this time. When I’m in my spandex fox costume I’ll sometimes look behind me to find Gene staring at my butt. He’d quickly look away like it never happened, but now I know it definitely did.“Stay there, baby.” He orders. 

I hear him climb off the bed and remove the Cher cassette from the radio. I’m relieved, because how awkward would that be to screw around with someone while listening to their girlfriend’s music? He pops in another cassette and wouldn’t you know, it’s _us_ ; Kiss. Only Gene Simmons would want to have sex while listening to himself sing. My heart starts pounding as I hear him reach into a drawer and squirt something into his hand.  I have no idea what he’s doing but I hear a deep moan come from behind me. I’m too afraid to ask.

The bed creaks as he gets back on, positioning himself behind me and grabbing my hips. I try to look back but my hair is too big and blocks my vision. 

“Y’know, I’d never _dream_ of fucking a guy...” He growls, approaching my entrance, “but for you, baby...I’ll make an exception.”


	5. Chapter 5

Never in a million years did I think I’d be naked in bed snuggled up to my bandmate. That was wild, and judging by the confident smirk on his face, I think Gene enjoyed it too.

I listen to his heartbeat as he strokes my hair, trying to comprehend what just happened in the last 20 minutes. We went at it _twice_. I’m just relieved we didn’t wake Ace and Paul up; I’d never hear the end of it if they caught us in the act. We lie there in silence for a while before I finally say something. 

“You’re not gonna take pictures of me to add to your collection are you?” I’ve heard about Gene’s famous Polaroids, photos of the countless women he’s slept with on the road. There’s probably hundreds, if not thousands of entries that he’ll most likely brag about someday when he’s an old man.

“Not unless you want me to, baby.” Gene answers, running his fingers through my curls.

I laugh at the thought of a book full of photos of naked women withone of me in all my glory thrown in there somewhere. After what we just did, there’s really no stopping me now. I’m feeling adventurous. 

“Sure.” I giggle. 

“... _Really?_ ” He looks down at me, surprised. 

“Yeah. Why not?”

“Okay.” Gene removes his arm from under my head and gets up off the bed. He reaches into a duffle bag, and pulls out his camera, smiling at me with lustful eyes. “Pose for me, sweetheart.”

I slowly get out from under the covers, making sure my private area is covered by the sheets, and lean on my arm. 

“Smile.” Gene aims the camera at me, and I give him a small grin. I’m trying to be sexy but I probably look the total opposite. He snaps the picture and the photo comes out. He looks at it for a while and chuckles, “Cute.” _Great_. I wasn’t trying to be _cute_. 

Gene gets back in bed, putting his arm around me again. He gives me a long kiss and looks into my eyes, and I need to ask him what’s been lingering on my mind. “Are you and Cher really gonna get married?” I really don’t want to get any more involved if he’s serious about making Cher his wife. This was already a _huge_ step out of my comfort zone, and I can’t and _won’t_ mess around with a married man. I can tell by how his smile fades away that I hit a nerve with him. He doesn’t answer, but instead leans over and turns the lamp next to the bed off. “Good night, Eric.”

_Wow. Way to go, me. Way to ruin a perfect night_. 

I frown and watch him get back under the covers. “Good night...”

* * *

I wake up to the sound of Ace’s squeaky laugh and the smell of pancakes. Gene’s spooning me, and I can’t move because his arms are wrapped tightly around me.

“Gene?” I try and wiggle out of his hold but he’s too strong. “Gene!”

“Wuh? What?” He mumbles, finally waking up. His kiss on my cheek tickles me and makes me giggle. “Fun night, huh? Better than the couch?” 

“Much better than the couch. Listen, I can’t move...” 

“Oh. Yeah. Sorry.” Gene lets go of me and slowly gets up from the bed, stretching and yawning loudly. “You stay there. I’ll make you some breakfast.”

“...Really?” I smile and cock an eyebrow. That’s strangely kind of him. 

“Be right back.” He winks and closes the door behind him. I settle back down on the bed and close my eyes, wondering what he’s gonna make for me.

The door opens again and Gene announces, “Breakfast!” That can’t be right. He was gone no more than a minute.

I sit up and he’s stood there with a slice of cake on a plate. _Of course._ Typical Gene. Cake for breakfast. He brings it over and kisses me. “Eat up, foxy, we’ve got a busy day today.” Huh? I thought today was our day off...

“Busy day?” I ask through a mouthful of cake. 

“Yeah, didn’t Bill tell you? We’re making an appearance at Sydney Town Hall and then we’re meeting with the Australian press. 6000 people’ll be there, all waiting to see you, Eric Carr. Kiss’ new adorable drummer.” I wish he’d stop calling me cute and adorable. It’s not doing much for my self-esteem, or my dignity for that matter. 

“Oh...okay...” I was kinda hoping today would be a chill, relaxing day off, but I guess when you’re in the hottest band in the world, that’s not an option. 

I finish my cake, put my pajama pants back on, and head to the tour bus kitchen where Ace and Paul are sat at the table eating breakfast. “Well, well, well.” Ace giggles, “If it isn’t Mrs. Simmons.” 

I turn around from washing my plate and stare at him, “What?”

“We heard you last night...” Paul puts a piece of pancake into his mouth. My heart practically stops. 

“...Heard me _what?_ ”

“Consummating the marriage...” He giggles. 

“Don’t play dumb, curly!” Ace laughs, “OH, GENE! OH _YEAHHH_ , GENE! FUCK ME _HARDER_ , GENE!” He and Paul erupt into a fit of laughter and I just stand there in horror. I have no idea what to say. Did I _really_ sound like that? _That’s so embarrassing..._

I hear Gene come out from the bedroom, and once Ace and Paul see him, they start moaning and making loud sexual noises, laughing their asses off. Gene looks just as confused as I do. 

“What are you idiots doing?” He rolls his eyes and starts making coffee. 

“What were _you_ doing last night, Dr. Love?” Ace seems to have forgotten all about Gene knocking him out on the plane, or else he’d be watching his mouth. I can already tell he’s gonna say something he’ll regret.

“Writing.” Gene says, his voice monotone, “Eric was helping me. Big deal.” 

I look over at Ace to see if he buys Gene’s lie, but he nearly falls out of his chair laughing. Guess he didn’t buy it.

“It sounded like he was doing _a lot_ more than helping you, curly! Eric got a prescription from Dr. Looooove!”

He and Paul start singing and I nearly die, “So if you please get on your knees! There are no bills, there are no fees! Baby, I know what your problem is!  The first step of the cure is...a kiss!”

“Alright, alright, settle down.” Gene silences them, sipping his coffee. 

“Guys, we’ll be at the hotel in 15!” The driver calls back to us. Oh good, that means less of Paul and Ace embarrassing me. I don’t know whether to go hide in the closet or just admit we _did_ sleep together. Gene certainly isn’t admitting it...

I get changed into my jumpsuit and fix my hair before we finally arrive at the hotel. I can hear screaming, and I open the curtain slightly to peek out. Fans are practically surrounding the bus, wearing our face paint and holding up signs. Police are pushing them back it’s so wild, and I have to admit I’m a little anxious. 

After we make sure to hide our faces properly, Big John escorts us from the bus, the heat hitting me as soon as I step out. The fans are screaming our names, even _mine_ , which I’m still not use to after 5 months. I give them a little wave as I pass by and follow the guys inside, desperate for some AC. 

We keep our bandanas and sunglasses on until we reach our rooms, Ace and Paul in one and me and Gene in another. I can hear Paul and Ace bickering from the hallway because Big John’s carrying all of Ace’s luggage after Ace refused to carry it himself. 

“You’re a lazy bastard.” 

“I know you are but what am I, Poodle?”

I drop my suitcase on the floor and practically launch myself on the bed. I close my eyes for 5 seconds before Gene tells me I have to get up and get ready, and I let out a loud, disapproving groan. 

“C’mon, Little Caesar, don’t give me attitude.” He pulls out his greasepaint from his duffle bag and sets it on the dressing room table. “They’re expecting us at town hall at noon.”

“I don’t wannaaa...” I probably sound like a whiny teenager but last night really took it out of me. I need a catnap desperately. 

“ _Eric._ ”

I close my eyes and giggle, “Only a kiss can wake me up.”

Gene hesitantly walks over to the bed and slowly leans down to my face before I make my attack. “Woah!” He gasps as I grab him and pull him on top of me. “You want round 2, baby?” He smirks down at me and I nod, wrapping my legs around his waist. I seriously don’t know what’s come over me since yesterday, but some of Gene seems to have rubbed off on me, physically  _and_  mentally. He’s all I think about. No wonder he’s a hit with the ladies.

He kisses me and whispers, “Nice try. Maybe later if you behave.” He climbs off and returns to the dressing table, and I huff in frustration. He almost  _never_ has self-control.

“You suck.” 

“I know.” He turns and winks at me, “But not as hard as you.”

* * *

 

“WE WANT KISS! WE WANT KISS!” Is all I can hear from inside town hall. I’ve been told it’s total pandemonium out there. People are screaming, crying, and some have even fainted. To say I’m nervous is an understatement, and all we’re doing is making a brief appearance. 

One by one we enter the balcony and the chanting only becomes louder. My adrenaline is pumping, but for Ace, Paul, and Gene I bet it’s like second nature. I feel like I don’t belong there, but I smile anyway and wave down at the thousands of Aussies below, completely overwhelmed. Some anxiety starts to kick in as I watch these teenagers screaming and crying for me, and I can feel my heart racing. Besides our concerts, I’ve never seen so many people in one place.

I bend over to get a better view, and I feel someone pinch my ass. I jumpfrom the sudden pain and look back to see Gene walking away with a sly grin on his face. He stands next to Paul and waves at people like it never happened. Ace sits on the railing and dangles his legs over while Paul grabs the microphone and greets the fans. 

“Hello, Australia!”

I can feel my greasepaint melting off my face as Paul talks; it’s so hot outside and I wish he’d hurry it up already. Gene looks over at me and winks, and I try to hide behind my hair. Doesn’t he know we’re being filmed? How embarrassing would that be if they caught him flirting with me? Well, it doesn’t seem to bother him in the slightest as he moves to stand next to me and straight up rests his hand on my ass. He waves at the fans with his other hand while feeling me up, and I gasp when he starts squeezing. _What is he playing at?_

Luckily, Paul and Ace are seeing none of this, and neither are the thousands of people below or _god forbid_ the mayor of Sydney. Gene’s patting and squeezing as the fans call our names, and I feel his breath against my ear as he bends down to whisper, “Remember my name, baby, you’ll be screaming it later.”

I can feel my face turn bright red as he walks away. I had no idea my ass had that kind of effect on people...

After Paul’s little speech, we finally leave town hall, Paul and Ace in one limo and me and Gene in another. He’s got his arm around my shoulder, that same flirtatious smirk on his face. “You looked hot out there, foxy...”

“Tell me about it.” I fan myself with my hand, beads of sweat forming on my forehead. 

He lets out a chuckle, “No, I mean...you looked _hot_.” 

It takes me a moment to realize what he means and I giggle nervously. I’m not one for showing public displays of affection or flirting in front of other people. It flusters me, but I don’t think the driver can see or hear us.“Ohhh...Thanks. S-so did you.” Without warning, Gene turns my head toward him and our black painted lips meet. It turns passionate quickly but I need to stop him. “Gene...our makeup...” I don’t think he thought this through or else he’d realize we’d show up to the press conference with smeared face paint. Honestly, I think his sex drive just takes over and he rolls with it. He pulls away and licks down my neck, a soft moan escaping my mouth. 

Soon I’m on his lap, which only leads to more kissing and spandex rubbing against spandex. I’m kinda hoping we arrive soon so this doesn’t escalate, but at the rate Gene’s moving, we might not make it. 

He grabs my ass again only harder this time, “You drive me wild, baby.” He growls and continues to lick my neck, but it makes me giggle because it tickles. “Stop it, I’m tying to seduce you.” He laughs.

The car suddenly stops and I figure we must have arrived. _Thank god._ I hop off of Gene, more than ready to get this press conference over with, until Gene looks down and practically snorts, “Someone’s pitching a tent.” I look down, and to my horror, he’s right. “You’d better get rid of that before the meeting starts.”

I’m lost for words. “YOU DID THIS!” Is all I can say, all I keep saying. “YOU CAUSED THIS! YOU DID THIS!” It’s alright for Gene, he’s wearing a cod piece. No one will know he was getting frisky with the drummer in the back of the limo. Did he do this just to make me look stupid? I know Gene has a... _unique_ sense of humour, but this is going too far. 

“GENE!” I call after him as he gets out of the car, leaving me sat there awkwardly. “ _GENE!_ ” I can hear him chuckling outside the door as he walks away. What an _ass_. I cross my legs tightly and wait for one of the other guys to come find me. 

It takes a few minutes before the car door opens again, and Ace is stood there looking in, “Hey, curly, Gene-o tells me you’ve got a... _standing ovation._ ” He giggles. 

“It’s not funny, okay? It’s humiliating. Especially since _he’s_ the cause of it.”

“Aw, don’t sweat it, curly.” He smiles and holds his hand out to me, “Let’s fix you up, hah?” 

My eyes widen because I have no idea what he’s insinuating by that, but I trust Ace more than anyone. He wouldn’t ever make a fool out of me on purpose. I take his hand and he helps me out of the car, “I’ve got ya covered.” He quickly walks me to the building, a few steps ahead so I can use the end of his silver cape to cover my groin area, and surprisingly, it works. The paparazzi doesn’t even notice. 

I sit there for about an hour while Gene and Paul answer most of the questions, wondering in my own mind why I let Ace practically jack me off in the men’s bathroom. He’d told me he’d perfected the quickest way to get rid of a boner, and that Paul wouldn’t mind him ‘helping out’ a friend. I insisted I didn’t need help, but he was drunk, time was running short, and I didn’t want to go out in public the way I was, so I just sighed and agreed. 

It was a fun time. Ace cracked a couple of jokes, and even _Gene_ laughed a few times, but the conference finally ends and we head back to the hotel where I’m expecting Gene to practically latch onto me like a leech once we get inside the room. 

“Nighty night, fellas.” Ace stumbles into his room followed by Paul, and I slide the key into our door. I follow Gene inside, he flicks the light on, and much to my surprise, there’s a woman sat on one of the beds.

“Hello, Genie!”


	6. Chapter 6

It’s Cher. Cher is sat on Gene’s bed looking more gorgeous than ever, and I’m in a state of disbelief. There I was thinking Gene and I would get some alone time, but suddenly, somehow, his girlfriend is in Australia with us. What are the odds?

“...Hi, baby.” Gene has a confused smile on his face as she gets up and plants a kiss on his lips. This is awkward to say the least.

“So this is the famous Eric I’ve heard so much about! Nice to finally meet you, sweetie!” She gives me a hug and a peck on the cheek and I grin sheepishly. She’s so nice, and so beautiful in her off-the-shoulder boho dress and cowgirl boots. I could never compare to her.

She turns back to Gene and says in a barely audible, serious tone, “Genie, we need to talk.” 

“Oh...” Gene looks at me, “ _Alone?_ ”

“If that’s okay, Eric?” Cher asks, and I nod. 

“Of course.” I leave the room, still in full costume and makeup and stand outside the door. The hallway is completely empty. I wish I could say it was silent, too, but I can hear moaning and giggling from Paul and Ace’s room. 

After a few minutes, I sit down and begin to unzip my boots. What could they be discussing? What could it be that I can’t be in the room to hear it? I hope it’s nothing bad, but I can’t help but feel frustrated that Gene’s been snatched away from me. Then again, he was never _mine_ to begin with. _I_ snatched him from _Cher_. I start to feel guilty and ashamed again as I kick my boots off and rub my sore feet. Why did I let Gene come on to me in the first place? Why have I allowed myself to fall for him? I mean, don’t get me wrong, joining Kiss has been a dream come true, but this whole dilemma with Gene would never had happened if I’d never met him.

Sadness starts to take over, but it soon turns to embarrassment as Paul’s voice gets louder through the door opposite me. 

“Oh, _Aaaace_ , daddy, _harder_!” Oh god. I can’t take it anymore. Luckily, our door opens again and I look up. It’s Gene. He looks shocked and _scared_ , an expression I’ve never seen him wear before. His eyes are darting around, and I can tell it’s serious. 

I stand up and face him. “Gene? What did she say? What’s wrong?” He’s silent, staring at the ground. I’d love nothing more than to give him a kiss right now, but considering his girlfriend is in our room, I don’t think it would be a wise move. 

“Gene?”

He finally looks up at me, his dark brown eyes filled with apprehension. “She thinks she might be...pregnant...”

My heart sinks lower than the floor, and I wonder if I heard him correctly. Did he just tell me Cher might be _pregnant?_ There’s no way...She and Gene haven’t seen each other recently as far as I know...She’d have to be a few months gone...My head is spinning.

This can’t be it. This can’t be how it ends... Gene and I are officially _over_. What a fool I was to think we’d ever began. 

I look away as I feel my eyes fill up, and I step back, trying to let what I’ve just heard sink in. I shake my head, and my lip starts trembling. Gene puts his hand on my cheek and looks down at me, and when he calls me ‘baby’, I lose it. I want to scream and I want to slap him, but without any of that, I just take off running, tears streaming down my face. 

* * *

It must be after midnight; there’s no people around, but the occasional hotel clerk passes by, and _they_ can see me crying on the couch in the lobby. I huddle my legs to my chest and sob into my knees, whimpering like a teenage girl whose boyfriend just dumped her, but I can’t help it. I’m so confused. Gene’s betrayed me, but has he _really?_ He’s not my boyfriend, he’s _Cher’s_ boyfriend, but they have an open relationship and he still fools around with groupies. I suppose all I was to him was some sex toy while she wasn’t around. Ace was right. I should’ve listened to him and not my stupid, lovestruck heart.

I must look like a crazy person still in my spandex, fur, and fox makeup, but frankly, I don’t care anymore. What is there to care about now that Gene isn’t with me? ‘Ace was right, Ace was right’ is all that keeps repeating in my head. I’ve allowed myself to develop feelings for Gene Simmons, a notorious self-absorbed sex addict, after giving him a chance and believing he wasn’t all those things Ace called him that sadly turned out to be true. I feel so stupid. 

“Hey, can I get some more towels in room 231?” I recognize that voice. I turn around and Paul is stood at the front desk wearing nothing but a hot pink silk robe. “Oh, and I wanna order some chocolate covered strawberries, too.”

“Right away, sir.” The clerk leaves and Paul looks around the room. 

After a few seconds, his eyes lock onto me and he cocks his head, “... _Eric?_ ”

“Hey.” I chuckle, aware of how insane I must look with my smeared face paint. He walks over to me and sits down, barefoot and completely naked under his robe. I’m thankful all I can see is his hairy chest.

“What’s the matter?” He narrows his eyebrows, concerned by the state I’m in. When he puts his hand on my shoulder, I start balling again, and he throws his arm around me. “Hey, hey, hey...” He holds me close and tries to quiet me down, rubbing my other shoulder with his hand. “It’s okay. What’s wrong? Why aren’t you with Gene?”

“Cher’s here...” I sniffle.

“... _Really?_ ” He sounds just as confused as Gene did when she first arrived. “So? What’s the problem?”

I pull away and look at him. Is he serious? He knows Gene and I have been messing around together, and now his girlfriend has magically turned up in the same continent, in the same city, in the same hotel. How does he not see that as problematic?

“Gene thinks she might be pregnant...” Just saying it makes my heart ache. 

Paul is silent for a moment before pursing his lips and simply replying with, “That sucks...” 

...It _sucks?_ Gene has possibly knocked his girlfriend up while messing around with me and it _sucks?_

“Well, me n’ Ace have champagne and strawberries if you wanna join us for a few episodes of The Dukes of Hazzard.” He holds his hand up and looks at his nails.

I’m absolutely dumbfounded by how nonchalant Paul is being, and pissed off by how he’s not taking my feelings into consideration. He may not know I’m in love with Gene, but he knows damn well there’s feelings there. 

I stand up and squint my eyes at him, unable to hold back my frustration, “Has Ace’s cum finally gotten to your brain?” He’s silent, looking up at me with those big eyes, his expression unimpressed. “Do I need to spell it out? CHER MIGHT BE _PREGNANT_. Gene and I have been fucking like rabbits for days, okay?! I think I’m in l-...I _am_ in love with him! How do you think this makes me feel? Do you not take other people’s emotions into consideration or are you too busy riding Ace to the moon to care?!” I regret being so harsh with my words, but they don’t seem to phase Paul at all. 

“Well...” He stands up, too, and puts his hands on his hips like he’s in some dramatic soap opera. “To be perfectly honest with you, Eric, it’s kinda hard to feel sympathetic for you in this situation. Maybe you shouldn’t have hopped on Gene’s dick the first chance you got, especially after Ace warned you. I’d really not be surprised at all if he got Cher pregnant. He’s without a doubt got _hundreds_ of illegitimate children already. You’ve known Gene for how long, not even half a year? Ace and I have known him for a _decade_. Gene is selfish and only cares about number one. You’re a sweet guy, but you have _a lot_ to learn about the show business. Being sweet and kind gets you nowhere. You need thick skin to make it, and I’m not sure you’ve got it. Next time, take our advice and save yourself another heartbreak.” 

I watch Paul walk back to the front desk, collect his towels, and vanish from the lobby without another word. I’m speechless, his words stabbing me like a knife. Everything he said was true, and it hurts like a _bitch_. Defeated, I sink back down on the couch and cry my eyes out until I fall asleep. 


	7. Chapter 7

“So, how’s Gene jr doin’?”

Gene shoots Ace a look of disapproval and sighs, his arm protectively resting around Cher’s shoulders.

“We don’t know if she’s _definitely_ pregnant yet...”

The annoyance and impatience in his voice is evident, but I don’t know if it’s because of the difficult situation he’s in or just Ace getting on his nerves, which seems to be happening _a lot_ lately. Our lead guitarist definitely knows how to push Gene’s buttons, and he’s made it quite  clear he isn’t afraid of the consequences.

It was Paul’s idea to go out to dinner, the five of us, and obviously, I was reluctant and knew it’d be extremely awkward. But it’s Italian, so I really couldn’t pass on that. As I naw on some garlic bread, I can’t help but wonder if Paul arranged this on purpose. It’s not unlike him to cause drama and feed off of it.

Gene and Cher are sat on one side of the table, and Paul, Ace, and I are sat on the other. I’m across from Gene, and we occasionally make eye contact or our legs accidentally touch like when he used to play footsie with me. His eyes pierce mine like daggers. I wonder if he loves me, if he ever had feelings for me like I do for him. If there _is_ anything there, he must be feeling guilty. People who are in love don’t pull stunts like this, especially to this degree.

I look back to see if he’s still staring, and wouldn’t you know, he _is_. The longer we look at each other, the more it breaks my heart. Fortunately, Cher hasn’t noticed and Paul and Ace are too busy flirting to care.

Soon, the waitress sets our food down, and we tuck in. 

“This is fuckin’ with my head, man. An Italian restaurant with Australian waiters.” Ace giggles, slurping his spaghetti loudly. 

“Yeah.” I laugh along, and then I’m silent. I really don’t know what to say. Even if Cher wasn’t here, I’d still be lost for words. And it’s not even _her_ making this uncomfortable, it’s _Gene_.

“Babe, you’re getting sauce everywhere.” Paul tells Ace off for eating like a child. They’re the only two that really talk during dinner. Apart from the occasional giggle from Cher, she and Gene don’t speak much, and the only noise coming from me is the clinging of my knife and fork. I try to zone out and listen to the restaurant’s radio playing some Journey song, but I just can’t seem to. Scenario after scenario plays out in my head of what will happen between me and Gene, and I can’t concentrate on anything else except that. I’m on the verge of having a mental breakdown. 

“Here, Genie.” Out the corner of my eye I see Cher feed Gene some of her food. He chuckles, and they kiss. 

It’s too much for me.

“...I’ll be right back.” I stand up and rush to the bathroom, not caring if I made a scene or not. 

Luckily, the small bathroom is empty, and I start to cry. This was a _terrible_ idea; I should’ve stayed at the hotel. Tears are falling into the sink as I grasp onto the sides and hang my head, squeezing my eyes shut. 

After a few minutes, the bathroom door opens again and I feel someone turn me around. It’s Gene, and he grabs my face and kisses me. I stare at him in shock as he holds me there, wondering what the hell he’s playing at. But as upset and confused as I am, I kiss him back, craving his touch. He finally pulls away slowly and rests his forehead against mine, “I’m sorry...” He whispers, “I couldn’t help myself...”

I’ve never heard him say sorry before, but I’m not sure it’s genuine.

“How could you do this to me...” I turn my head, more tears dripping down my cheeks. 

“I didn’t know, Eric...”

“Didn’t know _what?_ ” I pull away, frustrated, “That having unprotected sex would get your girlfriend pregnant?” 

I want nothing more than to storm out, but I’d love to hear what ridiculous explanation he has. 

“No...” He looks at me, defeated, “that I’d fall in love with you.” He sounds like he’s been bottling that up for a while, and I can’t believe what I’ve just heard. He’s _in love_ with me?

“Ace was right. I can’t go on fucking over beautiful women the rest of my life when who I really want is...” He looks at the floor and sighs. I’m so overwhelmed, and all I can do is shake my head. I wish we knew for sure if Cher’s pregnant or not, because if she is, there’s nothing left for Gene and me. Even if she isn’t, though, I’m not sure I can go on like this. What if this happens again? He’s not gonna stop screwing around with girls just for me, especially if Cher, a goddess, _an angel on earth_ , wasn’t an exception.

And then he says something that blows me away.

“If she’s not pregnant, I’m leaving her for you.”

My mouth opens. The _audacity_. I don’t know whether to be happy, upset, or pissed off. That’s the most selfish thing I’ve ever heard anyone say. Cher is absolutely nuts about Gene. They were talking _marriage,_ for God’s sake! And he’s willing to throw that all away for a what, a booty call? He doesn’t even know I’m in love with him, he’s just assuming. I might not love him at all! I do, though, with all my heart, and right now I’m wishing I was somewhere else, somewhere far away. 

“I have to go...” I wipe away the remaining tears and head for the door, but he stops me, grabbing my arm. 

“Eric...” He looks down at me and I’m practically paralyzed, “Are you in love with me?” I honestly don’t know what to say. The answer is yes, but maybe if I make it sound like I don’t, he’ll back off and go back to Cher. Sadly, that’s what’s best for the both of us. Gene isn’t gay, and neither am I. What’s happened between us needs to stay in the past and not escalate into something more. He needs to stay with Cher and look after her and the baby, if there is one. Paul was right, I’m not gonna make it in show business if I don’t grow some balls. It kills me inside thinking all this, but it’s what _needs_ to happen. There’s only one answer, and it’s a lie, but it’ll finally, _hopefully_ , put all this drama to an end.

“No.” I force myself to say, looking deep into his eyes. The past few months seem to have never happened when I say that one word, and all the happy memories fade away. His expression doesn’t change. You can’t really tell what Gene’s feeling in a situation because he’s always straight faced and serious, but he must be upset, and I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. 

He goes to kiss me but I turn my head, dodging him, his lips brushing against my cheek. He probably doesn’t believe me; I’ve never been a good liar. Luckily, the bathroom door opens, and in comes Ace, saving me from any more awkwardness. 

“Don’t mind me, fellas, I just gotta take a piss.” He stumbles past us toward the urinal, and that’s my chance to end this awful encounter. 

“I’m sorry.” I pull my arm out of Gene’s grasp and leave without another word. 

* * *

“Hah? Why’s he sorry? What’s wrong?” Ace asks. I’m frozen in place where Eric left me, my head spinning and my thoughts a tornado of chaos, and it suddenly hits me. _I’m_ _screwed_.

“Nothing.” Not in the mood for any inevitable bullshit from Ace, I turn and leave the bathroom. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In Gene’s POV 👹

I haven’t talked to Eric since that nightmarish dinner. He didn’t even come to our room that night, and that’s when I started to worry. He probably just asked to stay with Paul and Ace, but I instinctively thought the worst. He’s small and vulnerable, and I’ve always kind of felt protective over him. I was lonely, and usually I would’ve invited some lovely ladies over to take my mind off the whole situation, but I just wasn’t in the mood. Instead, I laid in my bed and stared at his bed until I eventually fell asleep. I still can’t believe I admitted my feelings to Eric, and ever since I did, I haven’t thought about or wanted to screw around with anyone else. I feel like a part of me is missing. 

Yesterday, we flew from Sydney to Brisbane, and Eric sat with Ace and I sat with Paul. We didn’t talk the entire flight, and I couldn’t take my eyes off of him. His hair was teased in that massive perm like usual, and because he’d been shopping with Paul, he was wearing an off the shoulder top with tight leopard print pants and heeled boots. He looked nothing short of _stunning_. I’ve never felt loneliness like this before, especially since Cher had to return to the states, and its driving me nuts. We’re playing Lang Park tonight, and then we’re officially leaving Australia for New Zealand for 8 days. I don’t know if I can handle Eric not talking to me for that long. I need to speak to him alone and soon. 

There’s a sea of people backstage, roadies, security, fans who somehow managed to sneak _past_ security, but no Eric. I try to walk as fast as my boots and costume will let me, my long red cape flowing behind; I haven’t quite mastered running in these things like Paul has. I check the bathrooms, the snack area where Eric usually never leaves, and finally the dressing room. If he’s not there, then I have literally no clue as to where he is. My only other thought is that he must have hit the road and gone back to New York to work for his dad as a handyman again. I can’t let him do that. Not after all that’s happened.

“Mr. Simmons?” 

“Gene?”

“Can I get your autograph?” Fans of all ages are following me around shoving pens and paper in my face. Their look of awe and amazement is one Eric used to give me when we first met.

“Maybe later. I’m sorry.” I call back as Big John finally comes to my rescue and barricades them from me. I need to continue my search, and I’ll only get distracted if I stop and sign things. 

I enter the dressing room, hoping to find Eric applying his makeup or practicing with his drumsticks, but instead Paul is sat facing me on Ace’s lap on one of the chairs. I go to speak, but after studying their expressions and noticing Paul’s tights are pulled down, I realize what they’re doing.

“Oh, for _fuck’s_ sake!” I turn away in disgust when I realize they’re straight up fucking in our dressing room. They never cease to embarrass me. “At least lock the fucking _door_!”

“Aw, c’mon, curly,” Ace giggles, panting, “we’ve seen you do worse!”

Still turned away, I ask him, “Have you idiots seen Eric?”

“Nah, can’t say I have...How ‘bout you, Paulie?” Ace smiles from behind at our blushing rhythm guitarist.

“No...”

“Just-...hurry it up, will you?” I open the door, ready to vomit up my lunch, “We’re on in ten fucking minutes.”

“I’m on it, chief!”

* * *

_ALRIGHT, BRISBANE_

The four of us eventually meet up next to the stage, and Eric doesn’t even glance in my direction. He doesn’t look upset or angry, just...normal. I watch as he jumps up and down a few times and exhales, the adrenaline in his little body building up. I want to just say ‘fuck it’, scoop him up, and take him away, but the circumstances aren’t exactly appropriate.

Ace pats Eric on the back and the fox smiles over his shoulder at him. I grow jealous. _Angry_ , even. It’s probably just my imagination, but Ace has been _very_ touchy with Eric recently, hugging him, tickling him...I’m sure it’s nothing, because if it was, Paul would _definitely_ have something to say, but it just irks me, especially since Ace knows what’s happened between us. That idiot never fails to get on my nerves. 

“Good luck out there, Little Caesar.” I say, barely audible so I don’t look stupid if he doesn’t answer. I only call him that when he’s acting like a tough guy, and ignoring me is most _certainly_ being a tough guy. 

Surprisingly, though, he looks at me, and I nearly melt. Those dark brown Italian eyes meet mine, and he nods slightly, “Yeah...you, too.”

We’re queued to head onto the stage and take our positions. It’s pitch black as I walk to the first microphone, and usually, the screaming and cheering pumps me up, but all I can think about is Eric. Not the fans, not the inevitable orgies with groupies after the show, not Cher, not our possible unborn baby, but _Eric_. 

 

_YOU WANTED THE BEST, YOU GOT THE BEST! THE HOTTEST BAND IN THE WORLD- KISS_

 

The curtain drops, the lights come on, and it’s showtime. 

* * *

“ERIC! ERIC! ERIC!” The crowd chants. Ace, Paul, and I are off to the side during Eric’s drum solo, and I watch the spotlight hit him like an angel. He has the biggest grin on his face as his platform slowly moves forward and lights up. I remember he was so worried at first about the audience not liking him, but turns out, they _love_ him. _I_ love him. More than I ever thought I would.

His solo lasts about 10 minutes, and my attention is on him the entire time. I don’t even have to look behind me to know what Ace and Paul are doing; I can hear the obnoxious lip smacking over the music. Eric’s hair bounces wildly with every bang of the drums, his mouth open slightly as he begins to lose his breath. Despite this, his energy only intensifies as his name echoes throughout the arena, and I find myself engrossed in every movement he makes.

Screaming and applause fills the room as Eric finishes the solo with three loud bangs on the gong, and we get the queue to enter the stage again. Paul quickly reapplies his lipstick and the three of us head back on. The crowd goes wild as Paul yells, “ERIC CARR ON THE DRUMS!”

The show goes on as usual, but I try my hardest to keep my distance from Eric. The last thing I want to do is make him angry; he’s _not_ someone to mess with when he’s upset. At around 11, Paul ends the performance by smashing his guitar, and sends the audience off with a kiss and ‘good night’. We exit the stage, exhausted but ready for girls, girls, and more girls.

I’m covered in fake blood from God of Thunder, and as I use a towel to wipe most of it off my breastplate, Ace strolls by and pats _very_ close to Eric’s ass. 

“Good job out there, foxy.” He tickles under Eric’s chin, and Eric giggles. That’s when I lose it. 

I throw my towel to the floor. “What do you think you’re doing?” I ask Ace, ready to unleash hell. I’ve stood by and watched long enough. He needs to be put in his place.

“Hah?”

“Why do you keep touching Eric?” I realize after saying that that I _definitely_ sound jealous, but there’s no turning back now. Paul looks just as confused as Ace does, and Eric looks surprised by my sudden outburst. 

“ _Answer me_! Why do you keep touching Eric?”

“Gene, I didn’t mean t-”

“Just knock it off, okay?” I raise my voice, “I’ve put up with your crap for eights years now, Frehley. Touch him again and your ass is out!” I don’t know where all this anger is coming from suddenly. I’m not even this protective over my own  _girlfriend_. Then again, Cher can fight her own battles. If Ace touched her, she’d invert his ribcage. But Eric...I feel the need to protect him at all costs. Ace was probably just being friendly in his usual strange way, but my brainautomatically sees it as something else. I need to protect what’s _mine_.

“Gene,” Eric speaks up, “he didn’t mean anything by it.” He looks a little upset, and it kills me inside. 

“C’mon, Babe.” Paul flashes me a look of disapproval before taking Ace’s hand and walking away, leaving just me and Eric in silence.

“What’s come over you?” He finally asks, looking up at me. Even in his elevated platform boots, he’s nowhere near as tall as me. “Why are you acting so... _possessive_ over me?”

I sigh and shake my head, “I love you...” It’s so hard for me to say. The only other person I’ve ever told _in my life_ I love them is Cher, and I mean it wholeheartedly about both her _and_ Eric. I want them _both_ , and if it were up to me, I’d damn well get them both. 

“I want you...” The longer Eric is in my presence, the more lust takes over. His curvy body and womanly hips are hypnotizing me, tempting me. I want to take him to bed so badly it hurts.

“You’re so selfish. You can’t have us both.” Eric lets out an annoyed chuckle and puts his hands on his wide hips. At that moment, I seem to lose all self-control. “WOAH!” Unable to hold back anymore, I hoist him up by his ass so he’s face to face with me. 

“What are you doing?!” He asks, shocked, looking around to see if anyone’s watching. 

It’s taking everything in me not to kiss him, especially since our faces are so close. “Admit it.” I tell him. 

“...Admit _what_?”

I _know_ he’s in love with me for a fact. At first I thought it was just my ego. I mean, come on, I’m Gene Simmons. _Everyone’s_ in love with me. But Eric and I have been through so much since July. We’ve taken the leap from coworkers to friends, to best friends, skipped brothers, and now...I’m not sure what we are. We’ve kissed, we’ve had _sex_. _Multiple_ times. And he’s telling me he’s not in love with me? _Please_.

“That you love me.” He purses his lips and I can tell by the look on his face that he’s struggling for words. But still, he keeps lying to me.

“I don’t.” And with that, all that’s left to do is kiss him. He needs to start telling the truth, and I know how to get it out of him. He gasps when our lips make contact, but he doesn’t pull away. In fact, he seems quite into it, grabbing at my hair and the back of my neck. I let my tongue slip past his teeth, and he moans softly, digging his gloved fingers into my skin. I know what drives him wild. No one can resist the demon’s appendage.

“I knew it.” I smile against his mouth, “You’re an _awful_ liar, Eric Carr.” 

“Just shut up and kiss me, asshole.” He pants, wrapping his legs around my waist and forcing our lips back together.

* * *

Like in the dreams I’ve been having lately, I soon find Eric lying naked on top of me in the tour bus bed, recovering from the most intense screwing we’ve both had in a _long_ time. His head rests against my chest as I gently stroke his back and take in the scent of the coconut shampoo in his hair. The sound of his soft breath makes my heart practically skip a beat, and I smile; I’ve got my baby back.

“You’re right...” He says quietly.

“I’m _always_ right.” I chuckle, but I don’t know exactly what he’s talking about, “About what?”

He lifts his head and rests it on his arms, looking into my eyes. He doesn’t answer immediately.

“I _am_ in love with you.”

“I knew it!” I laugh cockily. “See? I’m _always_ right.”

“Shut up.” He chuckles, rolling his eyes. I stroke his hair and he exhales, looking at the wall, “What about Cher...?”

“I told you, baby, if she’s not pregnant you’re all _mine_.”

Eric cocks an eyebrow at me in disbelief. He has every right not to trust me; I’m not the most honest person in the world. And part of me isn’t willing to give Cher up just yet. She and Eric are the loves of my life. I’m not giving either of them up if I can help it. 

“What if I told you _I_ was pregnant?” Eric jokes, obviously sensing the competition between himself and my girlfriend. 

“I’d say get rid of it because that’d be one ugly ass kid.” I laugh, but Eric frowns. “I didn’t mean you, baby. You’re _gorgeous_.” I kiss what’s left of his black lipstick.

“Are you ready to be a dad?” He asks, almost in a whisper. He can’t look me in the eyes when he asks about Cher and the baby, and it breaks my heart. I don’t want to talk about it, but I can tell he isn’t going to let it go anytime soon. 

“No...” I sigh, “You know I hate kids...except scrambled.” Eric lets out a little chuckle. “But I’m 31. I need to face the music...” He leans on his arms again and says something that makes me want to cry. I _never_ cry. 

“Well, even if not as your lover, I’ll always be here for you.” There’s some pain in his voice, andunsure how to respond, I kiss his forehead. There’s not a bad bone in Eric’s body, and even though I’ve broken his heart and upset him on numerous occasions, he still manages to be kind. I feel so guilty.

“When will you know for sure?” He asks, tracing his finger along my chest. 

“She took multiple pregnancy tests and each came back different, so she’s going to the doctor on the 30th to get a definite answer...” I’m really done talking about this, and I make sure it shows on my face. I don’t want to talk or even _think_ about being a father anymore; I just want to have more fun with Eric and push the other thoughts aside. We’ve got five more days until the tour continues, and five more days until my life is changed forever. 

Eric goes to speak again, but I grab his face and shut him up with my lips. A chatter mouth is nothing Dr. Love can’t cure. 


End file.
